A PRETTY face is what Singaporean men want of the fairer sex, while women rank confidence and a strong sense of character as their main considerations for potential partners.

Three in 10 men also said that they would dump their partner if she became overweight, while only one in 10 women here said they would do likewise.

These were the findings of a regional survey of more than 1,800 respondents, of which 600 were from Singapore. The others were from Malaysia and Hong Kong.

The survey was done by dating agency Lunch Actually, and sought to provide an insight into the dating trends and preferences of singles in these territories.

It was conducted over a three-week period in August through online platforms, such as dating and social-networking sites.

Men also indicated a preference for partners who are gentle and confident.

Undergraduate Faris Malik, 23, explained that dating a pretty girl would have a positive impact on men. He said: "It would be a confidence boost for a man, if other people see him dating a pretty girl.

"It is like driving a sports car, compared to driving a normal car. People will definitely look at you in a much better light."

Women, on the other hand, were less shallow. They said that they would date someone who is funny, kind and adept at making and maintaining conversation. The survey also showed that men were more open on the issue of height.

Of the male Singapore respondents, 42 per cent said that they have no qualms about dating a taller partner.

Lunch Actually founder Violet Lim said that, in most cases, height becomes the deal breaker for women.

"Sometimes, we have female clients who turn down potential love matches the moment we tell them that the man is slightly shorter than they are," she explained.

She added that women are more hard-wired to buy into the stereotype that taller and well- built men make better partners.

Findings from the survey also indicate that females here still place importance on the income and education levels of prospective suitors.

Almost half said that they would not date a man who earns less, or who has lower educational qualifications, than them.

However, men were more practical: Almost 80 per cent of the male Singapore respondents indicated that they had no objection to dating someone who is smarter or earned more.

One aspect both genders agreed on was that they would date someone from another race or nationality. The survey also found that almost half of the Singapore respondents said they have gone online to search for a partner.

Ms Lim attributed this trend to the rising pervasiveness of social media.

"The Internet is becoming a huge part of our lives and people today are more savvy when it comes to using it, even in dating."

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